Ranunculus &#39;Abmeneo&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Ranunculus cultivar named ‘ABMENEO’ is disclosed, characterized by pure white flowers with long peduncles and a typical vase life of 20 to 25 days. Plants have a unique foliage carriage, with foliage occurring densely at the base of the plant. The new variety is a Ranunculus, normally produced as a cut flower and potentially useful as an ornamental plant.

Latin name of the genus and species: Ranunculus asiaticus.

Variety denomination: ‘ABMENEO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new Ranunculus cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor, Alberto Biancheri at a research nursery in Camporosso Mare, Italy. The cross resulting in this new variety was made during 2012.

The seed parent is the, unpatented, proprietary variety referred to as Ranunculus ‘207B-T5’. The pollen parent is the unpatented, proprietary variety referred to as Ranunculus ‘ANKARA-B’. The new variety was discovered in 2014 by the inventor in a group of seedlings resulting from the 2012 crossing, in a research greenhouse in Camporosso Mare, Italy.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first performed by vegetative division of buds sprouting from the rhizome of the selected plant. Subsequent propagation has been performed by tissue culture. First propagation took place at a research greenhouse in Camporosso Mare, Italy in 2014 and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in multiple successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘ABMENEO’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘ABMENEO’ These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘ABMENEO’ as a new and distinct Ranunculus cultivar:

-   -   1. Pure white flower color.     -   2. Long peduncles.     -   3. Low foliage carriage, flowers occurring high above a low         growing plant.     -   4. Long vase life.

PARENT COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ABMENEO’ are similar to plants of the seed parent, in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of the new cultivar ‘ABMENEO’ differ in the following;

-   -   1. Flowers of the new variety are larger than those of the seed         parent.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ABMENEO’ are similar to plants of the pollen parent, in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of the new cultivar ‘ABMENEO’ differ in the following;

-   -   1. Foliage arrangement.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ABMENEO’ are comparable to the unpatented commercial variety Ranunculus ‘ABLIGHTPIN’. The two Ranunculus varieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics; however, the new variety ‘ABMENEO’ differs in the following:

-   -   1. Vegetative carriage, foliage occurs lower on plants of the         new variety.     -   2. Flower color or the new variety is white, flower color of         this comparator is pale pink.     -   3. Stamens are present on the new variety, not present on this         comparator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates a close up of plant parts. FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual flower. FIG. 3 illustrates in full color flowering plants of the new variety at approximately five months old, grown in a greenhouse. The photographs were taken using conventional techniques and although colors may appear different from actual colors due to light reflectance it is as accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 6^(th) edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe 5-month-old ‘ABMENEO’ plants grown in a greenhouse in Camporosso Mare, Italy. The plant described has been cultivated in the month of March. In order to protect the crop against pests, some chemical treatments are performed. Treatments with growth regulators can be performed to limit the plant sizes. In particular, no growth regulators have been applied on the plant described. The rhizome has been planted on raised benches in a peat and pumice substrate mixture. The growing temperature ranged from 12° C. to 24° C. during the day and from 0° C. to 6° C. during the night. General light conditions are bright, normal sunlight. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Ranunculus asiaticus ‘ABMENEO’ -   Propagation: -   Time to rooting: 15 days at approximately 10-12° C. -   Time to produce a rooted plantlet: 20 days. -   Root description: Tuberous root. -   Plant: -   Growth habit: Herbaceous perennial, robust plant, erect vegetation,     compact. -   Height to top flower: Average range 40 to 45 cm. -   Leaf height: Average range 25 to 30 cm. -   Plant spread: Average range 40 to 45 cm. -   Growth rate: Medium. -   Branching characteristics: Main floral stems grow from a basal     rosette with 1 or 2 lateral branches, each one of which has 1 or 2     flower. -   Length of lateral branches: Average range 30 to 40 cm. -   Diameter of lateral branches: Average range 0.5 to 0.7 cm. -   Texture of lateral branches: A little tomentose. -   Internode length: Foliage growth is extremely close together,     forming a basal rosette, without true internodes. -   Strength of lateral branches: Strong. -   Color of lateral branches: RHS Yellow Green 144A. -   Aspect/angle of branches: Average 25° to 30°. -   Number of leaves per lateral branch: Usually 2. -   Foliage: The plant has a marked heterophylly that means that in the     same plant the leaves may have different size and arrangement     (simple, ternate and biternate), in relation to the degree of     development (young leaf and mature leaf) and their position on the     plant (basal leaf — leaf at the base of the plant — and cauline leaf     — leaf inserted at the nodes of the floral stems). In other words,     there are significant variation in leaf shape on a same plant. -   Leaf at the base of the plant:     -   -   Arrangement.—Young Leaf Simple. Mature Leaf: Ternate.         -   Average length.—22 to 33 cm.         -   Average width.—11 to 14 cm.         -   Overall shape of blade.—Young Leaf: Obovate. Mature Leaf:             Palmatipartite.         -   Dissected leaves, describe lobes, quantity of             dissection.—Young leaves are generally not lobed; mature             leaves are generally divided in 3 parts, each one of which             is further divided in 3 or more lobes.         -   Apex.—Rounded.         -   Base.—Acute.         -   Attachment.—Base of the plant.         -   Margin.—Dentate.         -   Texture of top surface.—A little tomentose.         -   Texture of bottom surface.—A little tomentose.         -   Appearance of top surface.—Matte.         -   Appearance bottom surface.—Glossy.         -   Leaf internode length.—The internodes are extremely close             together, forming a basal rosette.         -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: RHS Green 137B. Young             foliage under side: RHS Green N138B. Mature foliage upper             side: RHS Green 137B. Mature foliage under side: RHS Green             RHS 137B.         -   Venation.—Type: Dichotomous; plunging into the limb at the             upper surface; raised on the limb at the lower surface.             Venation color upper side: RHS Yellow-Green 144B. Venation             color under side: RHS Yellow-Green 144B.         -   Petiole.—Appearance: Long, tubular, rigid. Length: Average             range 17 to 23 cm. Diameter: Average range 0.3 to 0.7 cm.             Pubescence: A little tomentose. Color: RHS Yellow-Green             144A. -   Leaf inserted at the nodes of the floral stems:     -   -   Arrangement.—Biternate.         -   Average length.—10 to 15 cm.         -   Average width.—8 to 11 cm.         -   Overall shape of blade.—Palmatipartite.         -   Dissected leaves, describe lobes, quantity of             dissection.—Generally divided in 3 parts, each one of which             is further divided in many lobes.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Acute.         -   Attachment.—Floral stems.         -   Margin.—Dentate.         -   Texture of top surface.—A little tomentose.         -   Texture of bottom surface.—A little tomentose.         -   Appearance of top surface.—Matte.         -   Appearance bottom surface.—Glossy.         -   Leaf internode length.—Average 2 to 5 cm.         -   Color.—Foliage upper side: RHS Green RHS 137B. Foliage under             side: RHS Green RHS N138B.         -   Venation.—Type: Dichotomous, plunging into the limb at the             upper surface and raised on the limb at the lower surface.             Venation color upper side: RHS Yellow-Green 144B. Venation             color under side: RHS Yellow-Green RHS 144B.         -   Petiole.—Appearance: Long, slightly flat, rigid. Length:             Average 5 to 10 cm. Diameter: Average 0.3 to 0.8 cm.             Pubescence: A little tomentose. Color: RHS Yellow-Green             144A. -   Flower:     -   -   Quantity per plant.—8 to 10.         -   Bloom period.—Winter to Spring.         -   Vase life (cut flower).—20 to 25 days.         -   Persistent or self-cleaning.—Self-Cleaning. -   Bud:     -   -   Closed bud.—Shape: Flattened globular with a sharp point.             Length: Average 2.0 to 2.5 cm. Diameter: Average 1.5 to             2.0 cm. Color: RHS Yellow-Green 145D at the base; Green 138A             at the apex.         -   Slightly open bud.—Shape: Flattened globular with a sharp             point. Length: Average 3.0 to 3.5 cm. Diameter: Average 3.0             to 3.5 cm. Color: RHS Yellow-Green 145D. -   Flower:     -   -   Diameter.—Average 6 to 8 cm.         -   Height.—Average 3 to 4 cm. -   Corolla: Round, regular, in the form of a flat section. -   Petals:     -   -   Arrangement.—Imbricated, disposed on the receptacle in very             tight verticils. The size of the petals is quite variable,             according to the position in the corolla, decreasing from             the exterior toward the center.         -   Lobe length.—Average 4.5 to 6.0 cm.         -   Lobe width.—Average 5.5 to 6.5 cm.         -   Quantity.—Double flower, petals are very numerous (>100).         -   Texture.—Silky, thin, resistant.         -   Lobe apex.—Rounded.         -   Lobe shape.—Obovate.         -   Margin.—Finely Crenate.         -   Aspect.—Triangular, obovate, concave.         -   Color when opening.—Upper surface: Closest to White N155A.             Lower surface: Closest to White N155A.         -   Color fully opened.—Upper surface: Closest to White N155A.             Lower surface: Closest to White N155A. -   Calyx/sepals:     -   -   Quantity per flower.—5 or 6.         -   Shape.—Concave.         -   Length.—Average 4 to 5 cm.         -   Width.—Average 1.0 to 2.0 cm.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Flat.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture.—Lower surface: Glabrous. Upper surface: Tomentose.         -   Color.—Upper Surface: RHS Yellow-Green 147C. Lower Surface:             RHS Green 137D. -   Peduncle: None. -   Pedicel:     -   -   Length.—Average range 35 to 40 cm.         -   Diameter.—Average range 0.7 to 1.0 cm.         -   Color.—RHS Yellow-Green 144A.         -   Orientation.—Upright.         -   Pubescence: A little tomentose. -   Fragrance.—None. -   Reproductive organs: -   Androecium:     -   -   Stamens.—Present, with a short white filament.         -   Anther shape.—Longer than wide.         -   Anther length.—Average 0.3 to 0.5 cm.         -   Anther color.—RHS Yellow 7A. -   Gynoecium: The pistils are numerous, short, locked together at the     center of the corolla, dome-shaped apocarpous gynoecium.     -   -   Pistil color.—RHS Yellow-Green N144D to 145A         -   Nectar glands.—Absent. -   Other characteristics: -   Disease resistance: Not observed. -   Drought tolerance and cold tolerance: No differences have been noted     in comparison to the common tolerance characteristics to other     Ranunculus cultivars. -   Fruit/seed production: Not observed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ranunculus named ‘ABMENEO’ as herein illustrated and described. 